This invention relates to an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (referred to as ATM, hereinafter) network topology management method for an ATM network to which a plurality of ATM switches and a plurality of ATM terminals are connected. More particularly, the present invention relates to the ATM network topology management method that allows for detection to logical topology of the ATM network in either case that a network management system exists inside or outside of the ATM network. This method of the present invention can be easily integrated with a method for automatically detecting the equipment with no ATM interface such as routers or a terminals and the like, that is outside the ATM network.
A conventional ATM network topology management method physical connections of a plurality of ATM switches and a plurality of ATM terminals are automatically recognized that has been disclosed in, for example, JP-A-32597/1996, titled "ATM network topology management method".
The above conventional method is described hereinafter.
Each of the ATM switches and the ATM terminals transmits information on a network address of a network management agent for controlling those ATM switches and ATM terminals and port identifiers for identifying the respective ports to the adjacent ATM switch and the ATM terminal by every ATM port for the ATM switch and the ATM terminal using ILMI protocol. Those ports are directly connected to the adjacent ATM switches and ATM terminals.
Receiving the information, each of the ATM switch and the ATM terminal holds a table containing a network address of the network management agent that controls the adjacent ATM switch and adjacent ATM terminal directly connected to the respective ATM port and a port identifier representing the connected ports.
Accessing the above-derived data in the table sequentially can automatically recognize the physical connections of each of the ATM switches and ATM terminals.
Supposing that the ATM network is divided into a plurality of logical subnets, the conventional ATM network topology management method fails to automatically identify the ATM switches and the ATM terminals belonging to a certain logical subnet.